The Thin Line between Love and Hate
by AquilaTempestas
Summary: AU. Some things are just never meant to be no matter how much you wish it were. Lyra's seemingly perfect world is set to crumble when a new group of students arrive promising to cause trouble of all sorts. Dawn/Gary/Misty/Ash square. Rated T for sexual references and profanity
1. Unova College

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Pokemon do not belong to me

**Title**

The Thin Line between Love and Hate

**Summary**

Some things are just never meant to be no matter how much you wish it were. Lyra's seemingly perfect world is set to crumble when a new group of students arrive promising to cause trouble of all sorts**.**

**.**

**Chapter One: Unova College**

Bopping her head to the beat of 'Ghost' by Ella Henderson, Lyra mouthed the lyrics to herself earning chuckles from the ones seated around her. She wasn't offended at all – the other students on the bus were used to her breaking out in song at random moments and sometimes they even joined in. Being the lead editor of the student report team had its benefits – everyone wanted to be on your good side just encase something negative was written about them.

Of course, 'everyone' was just a loose term. There were a handful of people who despised her and her group of friends, believing they were nothing but filth. They called themselves the Elite Three and as the name suggested, it consisted of three students hailing from privileged backgrounds. It was this reason alone the group of three had taken it upon themselves to patrol the school halls during recess breaks to monitor behaviour.

The students didn't like them, but the teachers and the board did. Alder, the principal of Unova College, had given each student a scholarship based on their skills. Lorelei was the ringleader of the bunch and the bitchiest person in town, with a stare so menacing she could literally freeze people in their tracks. She was flanked by her two friends, Karen and Sabrina, both of whom who loved gossiping and putting people down they deemed as inferior.

Sadly, there was nothing much she could do about them other than just deal.

A hand tapped her on the shoulder, pulling Lyra out of her thoughts. "So, what do you think Lyra?"

Lyra blinked. "Um, what?" she asked, removing the earphones out of her ears. "Sorry Dawn, I didn't see you there," she replied.

Dawn rolled her deep blue eyes, but gave Lyra a warm smile. "I've got some great ideas for the fashion show!" Dawn said, her eyes shining. Lyra gave Dawn a wry smile. She knew Dawn aspired to be a great fashion designer to follow in the footsteps of her mother, Johanna Berlitz, the region's most famous designer. Fashion was her greatest passion and any chance to promote her work pleased her. "Okay so listen here. I'm thinking we could have a catwalk and the girls, and even some guys can wear the outfits I designed for them," Dawn started.

Lyra nodded. "What's the reasoning behind the fashion show?"

Dawn flicked a strand of stray blue hair over her shoulder and continued speaking. "Well, a team of professional designers are coming in two weeks before our formal, so I thought it would be a great chance to showcase what formal designs I have." Lyra raised an eyebrow and waited for Dawn to continue. Dawn sighed. "Trust me; it'll work out. My mother is going to lend hand."

"And your father?"

She bit her lip and hesitated before speaking again. "…I'm working on it, but he'll come around eventually."

Her father was Cyrus, the CEO of Galactic Energies, the company responsible for the region's power. Meeting the man for the first time had been an uncomfortable session since he treated her with hostility, but he eventually accepted her as one of Dawn's friends and acted less hostile towards her. He no longer made a big deal when she came around to sleep over and even invited her and her family over to dinner on some occasions.

"He wants me to focus on business and such so I can run the company in the future, but I'm not interested in such a boring job," Dawn replied, sighing. "Anyway, if these designers like my work they'll accept me to work with them. Basically, I'll get to design dresses for the girls and glam them up and make money out of it. Good, right?"

"Couldn't you just work for your mother though?"

Dawn shook her head. "I could, but I want to stand on my own. I don't want to be in my mother's shadow, you know?"

Lyra nodded. That was understandable. Having parents who had achieved so much must be difficult to deal with. "The board should've let you design the school uniforms," she teased, looking down at hers, wrinkling her nose in mock repulsion.

The girl's uniform consisted of a simple white three quarter sleeved white blouse, a navy sleeveless V-neck sweater, and a knee length navy blue skirt. The uniforms the guys wore consisted of a white polo shirt, a pair of navy blue dress pants, and a blue sleeveless sweater worn over the polo.

Dawn flashed Lyra a grin. "I know, right?"

Lyra remained silent letting Dawn's ideas sink in. Dawn had heart, but she obviously hadn't given the idea much thought. There would be interest since her family name was well-known throughout the region, but organizing a fashion show for professionals wasn't going to be as easy as she imagined. She gave her friend an encouraging smile and hoped it would all turn out well for her.

"So, it's your three year anniversary, isn't it?" Dawn said.

Lyra nodded. "Yup, next Wednesday."

She grinned. "Oh my god, that's so exciting! How long have you and Morty been together again? Two years? Three? Or was it four?" A thoughtful expression took hold of her face. She glanced down at her fingers trying to recall the number of years Morty and Lyra had been dating.

Shaking her head at Dawn's poor memory, Lyra offered an answer. "It'll be three official years next week," she replied proudly, a small tinge of red appearing on her cheeks. "Morty told me Wednesday will be one of the best days of the year," she added, blushing.

"You're lucky to have such a great boyfriend," Dawn replied. "He's kind, gentle and understanding." She gave Lyra a sideways look. "And don't think I'm interested in him, but he's cute."

"Cute?"

Dawn smirked. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

"I think he's hot, not cute." Lyra then frowned. "What's the difference between sexy, handsome, cute and hot anyway?"

"Let me tell you about the guy-attractiveness radar."

"You mean, your radar."

Dawn shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so, but any guy will fit under one of these categories. I'm going to use four guys to explain each concept; Morty is cute, Gary is hot, Brock is handsome and Volkner is sexy."

"What if he can't be classified?"

"Then he's considered plain. Now shush, let me explain." She pushed her bangs back and Lyra just rolled her eyes at the silliness of the entire thing, but she paid attention just for the sake of it.  
>"When a girl says a guy is 'cute' then he's probably either young or he has features that in some way remind her of a younger person. Also, the persons' personality might be innocent and naive," she explained. "When a girl says a guy is hot that means he's sexually attractive, but the girl will probably not act on the impulse and actually pursue a sexual relationship with him unless she's a whore," she added, frowning.<p>

"What about handsome and sexy?" Lyra asked.

"When a girl says a guy is 'handsome' then that means he's attractive in a more sophisticated way and is probably older-looking or unconventional looking. The girl probably would want to pursue a serious relationship with a 'handsome' guy, as opposed to just a short-term thing. Finally if a girl says a guy is 'sexy' then that means he's sexually attractive and the girl does intend to pursue a sexual relationship with him most likely," Dawn explained, leaving Lyra speechless. Dawn noticed Lyra's confusion. "Are you still confused?"

Lyra shrugged. "I just find the labelling kinda stupid, you know? I mean everyone has a different view on what's hot, cute, sexy or handsome, right?" Dawn considered Lyra's question and shrugged. Lyra took her lack of verbal response as an indication she agreed. "I still don't think Morty fits your definition of cute though." Dawn opened her mouth to explain further when the bus driver approached them. It was then she realized they had already arrived at the school and were the only people left on the bus. Awkward.

"Girls we've arrived," he said.

Dawn gasped and glanced out the window. "Remind me to not talk about attractive guys with you on the bus," she said lightly, leading the way down the aisle towards the exit. Lyra followed close behind and said her thanks to the bus driver hopped off then walked towards the school gate. The pathway from gate to the main buildings was a long one and took the girls pass the rugby field.

Usually, the place was quiet at this time in the morning, but today there was activity. A large crowd was standing around in a big circle. "What do you think is going on?" Lyra said.

Dawn shrugged. "I don't know, but we should go and check it out." Grabbing Lyra's arm, Dawn pulled her towards the group, pushing her way through. "Out of the way everyone, your lead fashion designer is coming through!" Dawn stated. Several students shouted at her while others quickly moved out of the way.

Up ahead, Lyra saw her friends Ash and Gary staring down arrogant thugs Silver and Paul. "Uh oh, this looks like trouble," Dawn whispered. She wasn't sure what had started the ill feelings between the boys, but for some reason, Silver and Paul really hated Ash and Gary. She immediately hurried over to check if Ash was all right. "What is going on here?"

Gary answered. "They're being dicks again… as usual, but what else is new?" he muttered, shooting a dark glance in Paul's direction. "Paul is accusing Ash of spending too much time with his brother, Riley. He says Ash is taking his brother away from him."

"That's so stupid," Dawn commented.

He grunted. "Try telling Paul that, but I doubt he'd listen anyway. He's just looking for a reason to argue." Lyra turned to face Paul. He was dressed in the standard uniform as well except he had taken the effort to toughen his appearance by adding tears and holes to his clothing. She even saw the faint markings of a tattoo hiding under his left shirt sleeve.

"Aw look, its daddy's little girl!" Paul said. "Have you come to hold your boyfriend's hand?" he taunted, making a kissy face, earning a snigger from Silver.

Dawn glared. "He's not my boyfriend."

"I don't need her help to take you on, Paul!" Ash exclaimed, shaking a fist.

Silver chuckled. "Stop embarrassing yourself, Ash."

"Leave him alone," Dawn snapped. "He's done nothing to you."

"His existence offends me," Paul replied curtly.

"Fuck you, Paul!"

His smirk widened. "Please do."

Lyra placed a hand on Dawn's shoulder and pulled her back before the girl did something silly, like slapping the jerk in the face. He deserved it, but starting a fight would do more harm than good. "Don't let him get under your skin. He's not worth the trouble." Dawn relaxed then turned her back.

"You're right." She took in a deep breath and calmed her nerves.

"Chickening out?" Silver taunted. "Ah well, that's the smarter choice – that way you won't embarrass yourselves further." He exchanged high-fives with Paul. "We'll see you boys… and wenches." They turned around and left, a small gaggle of girls running after them, calling their names.

"What a great way to start off the new year…" Ash muttered, raking a hand through his black messy hair.

"Don't blame yourself, Ash. They started it," Gary defended.

Ash brought his hands to his face and groaned. "My mother is going to be so worried when she hears about this. You know, she was going to pull me out of school this year because of those bastards. She actually brought up home-schooling." A visible shudder raced down his spine.

"No way, are you serious?" Lyra replied.

Ash nodded. "Totally serious. The only reason I'm still here is because I convinced her that you guys would be there to lend a hand." He sighed. "Let's just change the topic. I don't wanna talk about this any longer. It depresses me."

"Anything involving those two is depressing," Dawn informed. "We should probably get to class before one of the elite girls comes down and gives us a demerit." She led the way to the main buildings and Lyra hurried after her. Being given a demerit point on the first day wouldn't be a great start to her final year of schooling. Hopefully, the rest of the day improved. It could only get better, right?

.

The main characters in this story are obviously Ash, Gary, Dawn and Lyra, but other characters will have plenty of story time as well! Every character will have a role to play. As for pairings, there will be quite a few and they will change as the plot progresses. For the time being, there will be Lyra/Morty (temporary) and a Gary/Ash/Misty/Dawn square. See you in a couple of days with the next chapter! (100 000 words has already been written!)


	2. Tensions

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Pokemon do not belong to me

**Title**

The Thin Line between Love and Hate

**Summary**

Some things are just never meant to be no matter how much you wish it were. Lyra's seemingly perfect world is set to crumble when a new group of students arrive promising to cause trouble of all sorts**.**

**Special Thanks**

Guest, CavalierShark and Ready to fly for reviewing the previous chapter!

**.**

**Chapter Two: Tensions**

Lyra successfully reached her classroom without bringing down the wrath of the Elite Three upon her head. Someone else had managed to grab their attention before any of the girls could give her trouble. Pushing the door open, Lyra stepped inside the English classroom and scanned the room, searching for her friends. She spotted her other two close female friends in their usual position – sitting in the far right corner where they had an excellent view of Volkner, the captain of the rugby team.

"May? Misty? Seriously, Volkner?" she asked, sitting down in between her two friends. "You do realize his girlfriend will not hesitate to kick your ass if she finds out that you're perving on him."

Volkner's girlfriend was Maylene, the only female who could hold her own ground with the boys. She was a black belt in karate, having spent the majority of her life learning how to fight properly. How she managed to attract to Volkner was a mystery – no one seemed to understand how a guy like Volkner could go for a girl like Maylene. But then again, sometimes it was the weirdest couples that turned out to have the strongest relationships.

"I'm just admiring good genetics, that's all," May said, giving Lyra a sheepish smile.

Misty nodded, dropping her voice to a whisper, and said, "He's a good-looking guy."

"But not as hot as Gary, right?" Lyra teased, knowing Misty had a crush on him. Her crush was understandable – Gary was probably one of the hottest, if not, the most attractive guy in school. Girls were always chasing after him, but Gary turned them all down. He was more interested in his studies than dating much to his grandfather's approval (and disappointment of girls everywhere). His grandfather starred in a world-famous nature documentary called the Oak Show, and so Gary spent most of his leisure time helping his grandfather with his research.

"No one looks as good as Gary," Misty replied, a tinge of red appearing on her cheeks. Lyra felt sorry for her friend – Misty was so infatuated with Gary, but he only saw her as a friend. Sometimes she wondered if Gary was even aware that Misty was a girl – he treated her like she was one of the boys.

"I don't understand why you just don't ask him out already," May said. "You obviously like more than a friend… so, go and do something about it before someone else snags him."

Misty's jaw dropped. "Ask Gary Oak out on a date? Are you kidding me? Because no one asks Gary Oak out on a date and gets a yes from him. Girls have been trying for years now, and he's never said yes." Her shoulders sagged. "I want to not like him, but he's all I think about."

"Girl, you have got it bad," Lyra joked.

Misty rolled her eyes. "I know, right? It's just my luck. I have to like the guy who is never going to be interested in me. I don't even know if he knows that I'm a girl. You know, he asked Dawn the other day if she could help him buy a gift for his grandfather… then he asked me if I wanted to come over to his place and play some _Call of Duty _with him and Ash." Misty actually looked distressed.

"Wait, Gary plays video games?" May replied, faking surprise. "Wow."

"He doesn't spend _all _his time helping his old man out," Misty answered. "He does have a bit of fun every now and then… but I don't understand why he asked Dawn and not me. Dawn's a good friend, but she's not compatible with him at all. She doesn't share any interests with him – they're like polar opposites."

"Well, only Ash would know if Gary is actually interested in Dawn," Lyra said. "They've been best friends since their early childhood days. Ash knows him better than anyone else."

"That's the problem – they're that close, Ash would tell Gary that I'm interested in him and then it would be really awkward between us. I'd never be able to look at him in the face again," Misty said, pulling a strand of loose hair, looking as though she was close to ripping it out. Lyra wanted to tell her that everything was going to work out in the end, but that would be lying to one of her closest friends. "What if Dawn likes Gary? I'd never be able to compete with her. She's perfect. He's perfect. They're like a match made in heaven. Two beautiful people together," she added sourly.

"Hey, don't be so negative, Misty," Lyra said, giving her friend a sharp look. "We don't know if Dawn likes Gary in that way. If you're really desperate though, and you're too afraid to ask, you might just have to test him. You could-" she stopped her sentence short when the teacher, Mr. Willow Pryce entered. The man was in his early sixties now, and there was a rumour going around that he was retiring soon, which was saddening news to Lyra's ears. Pryce was one of her favourite teachers – he projected a cold exterior, but that was just an act. To the students he taught, he was warm, friendly and always telling stories.

Behind him was a female student with long sapphire hair, a hard gaze on her face. She looked like she could easily tear someone's head off if they dared to piss her off. Several males in the class sat up in their seats. "Good morning, everyone!" Mr. Pryce said, walking over to the front of the room to address the class. "We have a new student joining our class. Her name is Clair Blackthorn. Please make her feel welcome."

"She looks like a bitch," May whispered.

"Like we need more of those type of people here," Misty replied bitterly.

"Clair, please sit next to Misty," Mr. Pryce, pointing to the spare table next to Misty's right. Lyra heard Misty mumble 'whore' under her breath as Clair sat down. The girl didn't even bat them an eyelash. Lyra traded glances with her friends who simply shrugged in return. Clair was either really shy or really arrogant. Lyra leaned towards the latter – Clair just radiated the 'bad vibe' feeling.

"So, you're Clair," Misty started.

Clair turned her head, her eyes narrowed. "Did you just figure that out?"

"I was just making conversation."

"Please don't."

Misty frowned and dropped the conversation, turning her head to her friends, mouthing the words, 'someone is in a bad mood'.

"Today, we're going to get started on your upcoming project. It'll be a partnered assignment and before anyone gets too excited, I have chosen your pairs." Simultaneous groans filled the room. Having Pryce choose the partners was actually a good idea – it meant she didn't have to choose between her two friends. "For this assignment, you will be required to study a theme and you will have to draw on a variety of texts and media, to collate a two thousand word essay about your theme. You will need to read two novels, two poems, as well as having watched two films about your topic. In addition, you'll have to make a forty-page journal to record your findings and your thoughts about the topic. You have three months."

May raised her hand. "Can it be about anything?"

Pryce nodded. "Yes. Any other questions?" The class was silent. He cleared his throat and spoke further. "I'll be emailing you your assigned partner this afternoon. For now, I would like you to browse through the list of topics that students have researched in the past years. I'll also allow you to look over the samples so you get an idea of what to include. The design of your journal will be graded as well, so make sure it's appealing."

Lyra sat back in her chair. She had a feeling Pryce was either going to partner her up with one of the obnoxious boys in the class or with the new girl, Clair, since Pryce had a habit of balancing groups. High achievers would often be paired with low achievers. Crossing her fingers under the desk, she hoped she'd end up with someone decent otherwise it was going to be a tough three months.

.

Recess was one part of the day Misty favoured above all the others. It was the only time of the day she got to hang out with all her friends in one place. It was also the only time she had with Gary since they didn't have any classes together this year. Gary was sitting across from her in between Dawn and Ash. Misty had purposely sat opposite to him so he could see her better. Her plan didn't seem to be working at the moment since he appeared to be more interested in talking to Dawn instead.

"Please tell me you are free this weekend," Gary said, turning to Dawn. "It's grandfather's sixtieth birthday next Wednesday, and I want to get him something good before then obviously. The weekend is the only time I'll available."

Dawn smiled. "Of course I'll be free, Gary. I'd do anything for you," she replied, placing a hand on his shoulder.

He grinned back. "Great!"

"Don't bring me along," Ash said. "I don't want to spend a weekend walking up and down aisles searching for gifts." He leaned forward and caught her eye. "Hey Mist," Ash started, using her nickname. "You wanna come over to my place and watch some movies? I got hooked this awesome show about blood and vampires. I think you'll love it!"

Misty turned to Gary and Dawn, feeling an ugly sensation in her stomach. If Gary had to be attracted to anyone, it would make sense that it was Dawn. She was rich. She was beautiful. She was intelligent. She was everything Misty wasn't, and that's what hurt the most. Turning away from Dawn, she looked at Ash and nodded. "Yeah, sure, why not?"

"Awesome! I'll let mum know."

May leaned forward, putting her sandwich down on the table, and spoke. "Does anyone want to go and watch a movie after school today? I've got these tickets, but I can't go because I'm supposed to be helping my parents. My mum's best friend is moving into our street early next week – they want to host a garage sale this weekend to remove most of the stuff they don't want any more to cut down on expenses."

"How many have you got?" Lyra asked.

"Three."

"I won't be able to go," Ash said. "I promised mum I'd help her bake muffins this afternoon."

"And neither can I – I've got a pile of maths homework to complete," Lyra said, pulling a sour face. "Miss Agatha is a cruel lady."

Gary turned to May. "I can go. My grandfather insists that I ought to get out more." He turned to Dawn. "You wanna come?"

She nodded. "I'll have to ask my parents first, but I'm sure they'll let me go."

Gary turned to Misty next. "You're free, right? You can come with us. It'll be good."

"Yeah, I can do that," Misty replied, hoping the disappointment on her face didn't show. An afternoon with Gary _and _Dawn. It was like being the third-wheeler on a date. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't refuse. That would mean Dawn would have more time alone with Gary, and a chance to get closer to him. She couldn't allow that to happen. She was about to ask further questions when someone's phone went off. All eyes rested on Dawn.

She reached down into her pocket and pulled out her phone then answered the call, an exasperated look on her face. "Mum, I told you – you can't call me during school times. You know they'll take my phone off me – Oh? What do you mean? You want me home straight after school this afternoon? I'm supposed to be going to the movies – Okay, okay, I'll wait at the pickup area. Bye mum." She put her phone away and gave Gary an apologetic look. "Sorry, I'm going to have to pull out. Mum says she has something really important to tell me this afternoon and it can't wait until later."

"We could always go another afternoon," Gary said.

Dawn shook her head. "No, no, you two go on ahead." She frowned. "I wonder what's so important? She sounded really happy about something. Oh well, guess I'll find out this afternoon then when mum picks me up."

"Something related to work maybe?" Lyra offered.

"Give us the juicy details," Ash said, winking. "We need something to gossip about."

Dawn stuck out her tongue. "Ha ha, you are hilarious, Ash Ketchum."

"Dawn used your full name, Ash. You're in trouble now," Gary teased.

Ash pretended to stab himself in the heart. "She wounds me!" he recollected himself, the amusement fading from his eyes, and looked at Dawn. "But no, seriously, if something good has happened you'll us know, right? We need some good news to get us through this horrendous first term. You know, I've already received three assignments this morning. Three assignments. Can you believe it?"

"Wait until you receive the English assignment," Lyra said. "You'll want to be hit something."

"Don't even talk about it."

The ugly feeling in her stomach faded. No Dawn this afternoon. She knew it was wrong to be happy her friend was going to be absent, but it meant she had Gary all to herself! Thank God for Dawn's mother, stepping into save the day unknowingly. Perhaps she had a chance with Gary after all.

.

What could possibly be so important that Dawn can't go and spend time with Gary and Misty? You'll find out in the next chapter! Anyways, as far as pairings go, it's going to be looking into the 'one friend assumes the other friend likes the guy she likes, and feels threatened, but doesn't want to ruin the friendship' sort of mess. Will things ever work out for Misty? Also, in the next chapter, you'll learn more about Clair, Lance and a few other people who have important roles. As always, reviews are much appreciated!


	3. Confessions and Secrets

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Pokemon do not belong to me

**Title**

The Thin Line between Love and Hate

**Summary**

Some things are just never meant to be no matter how much you wish it were. Lyra's seemingly perfect world is set to crumble when a new group of students arrive promising to cause trouble of all sorts**.**

**Special Thanks**

Thanks to Ready to fly and CavalierShark for reviewing the previous chapter! Also, thanks to RDOH for reviewing chapter one!

**.**

**Chapter Three: Confessions and Secrets**

Gary sat down at the table, stabbing his fork through his raisin toast as he listened to his grandfather explain the upcoming nature documentary show. He wanted to start filming as soon as possible if the weather permitted, but all Gary could think about was his after-school activity with Misty. He was actually going to be spending time during the school week doing something else other than work-related stuff.

"How was school today?" his grandfather asked, taking a seat opposite to Gary.

"The same old, nothing special happening. How was your day?"

Samuel Oak brought a hand to his temple and rubbed it, a brief expression of pain appearing on his face. "This headache has been a constant thorn in my side."

Gary frowned. "Another headache? You should probably get it checked out. Persistent headaches aren't good you know."

Taking a sip of water, Samuel shook his head then set it down again. "It's nothing to be concerned about. It's just a headache, that's all." He dug into his pocket and pulled out a packet of Panadol. "It's most likely just a cold."

"Well, I hope it is… but I still think you should go and see a doctor," Gary said, taking another bite out of his food. It didn't take him long to clean up his plate. Once he was done, he placed his plate in the sink, and walked back to his grandfather. One for himself and one for his grandfather. "You should cancel the filming. Hold it off for another week or so until this cold passes."

"Relax, Gary. A cold won't stop me from filming my show."

Gary sat down again and studied his grandfather's face. He was tired, as evident by the black bags under his eyes. It looked as though the man hadn't had a good night's sleep in a long time and that worried him. His grandfather worked too hard for someone his age. "I think you're the one who needs to relax. You look exhausted."

"Nonsense. It's just this cold."

Gary didn't believe him, but he decided not to question the matter further. His grandfather could be a stubborn old man at times. He decided to change the topic. "I'm going out this afternoon. You don't mind, do you?"

"Of course not. I'm glad you taking my advice and heading out. Are you going out with Ash or with a girl?"

"Misty. You know her."

He looked thoughtful, then nodded. "Ah yes, Misty. She's the girl with the orange hair, right?"

"Yeah. Dawn was supposed to come as well, but something came up."

"I'm glad that you have finally overcome your fear of females, Gary."

Gary's eyes widened, as he choked on a piece of raisin toast. He grabbed his glass of water and took a mouthful then cleared his throat. "What? I'm not scared of females!" he replied, laying the glass back down.

His grandfather chuckled. "It just strikes me as strange as to why you don't have a girlfriend yet. Many teenage males your age have girlfriends… why don't you? I know you have a lot of admirers. I saw it on your Facebook page. I'm not stopping you from dating, Gary."

He almost choked on another piece. His grandfather had been searching through his Facebook page as well? He must've left it on by accident one afternoon. "Are we seriously having this conversation?"

"I mean, perhaps you're interested in other males… you do spend a lot of time with Ash… It's not a problem, but I thought I'd mention it."

"I'm not interested in all this dating stuff, pa. I want to wait until I get myself a stable career." He stabbed his toast. "Can we please just move on from this conversation?" Did Ash ever have these awkward conversations with his mother? He had to ask him that the next time they caught up. Besides, why his grandfather so interested in his love life anyway?

"I don't want you to be alone."

"I'm not alone, pa. I have you. I have friends."

For a split second, Gary thought he saw a flicker of sadness and pain in his grandfather's eyes, but when he blinked it was no longer there. "I just want you to be happy, that's all." The conversation ended there and Samuel returned his attention back to eating. Gary examined his grandfather for a little longer then continued to eat. As he ate, he couldn't help but think there was something wrong with his grandfather. What secret was he keeping?

.

Misty stood in front of her full-length mirror, smiling at her reflection staring back at her. She tossed her short hair behind her shoulders then battered her eyelashes. "It's pretty hot today isn't it, Gary?" she asked. As soon as the words left her mouth she uttered a curse word. "Oh, that's too lame. He'll never buy that, Misty," she scorned herself.

She continued to stare at the mirror for a few more minutes before throwing her hands up in the air. Forcing a disgruntled sigh, she stormed over to the edge of her bed then sat down. "I'm never going to be able to win him over," she mumbled. "I'm trying way too hard. He's a friend, not a stranger. Think, Misty." She sat down on her bed and gazed up at the ceiling. She had known Gary for years and now she felt nervous to be spending alone time with him. Nervous! It was ridiculous. "Just be normal."

But acting normal itself was a problem. If she acted like her usual self, their relationship would remain unchanged – she would be stuck in the friend-zone. That was not the place she wanted to be in. But how to take it one step further without ruining their friendship? She tried to think of some ideas, but all of them were terrible. Of course, there was always the option of asking him whether or not he could see them together in the near future, but that just seemed a little too desperate.

"Misty, are you all right? You've been in there for hours now!" her mother called, knocking on the door.

Could she tell her mother about her crush on Gary? She had grown very close to her mother ever since her dad walked out on them five years ago. She could tell her everything – well, almost everything. Talking about crushes on cute guys was a different story however, especially ones on close friends. She had a deep fear she'd hurt her mother with talks about guys considering what happened between her parents. But this continued bottled up frustration was going to destroy her. "You can come in you know."

The door opened and her mother stepped inside. Misty was a spitting image of her mother, same eyes, same hair colour, same facial structure... appearance wise the same, but personalities were quite different. Her mother lacked the stubborn and hot-tempered personality Misty appeared to have. "What's wrong, sweetie?" she asked, sitting down beside her daughter.

Here it goes, she thought. "I'm in a bit of a situation..." she started, carefully looking at her mother's expression.

"Friendship problems?"

"Not quite... it's about a guy... a close friend of mine," she said slowly.

Her mother's expression went blank. "Is he giving you a hard time?"

Misty shook her head. "No no, it's just..."

A smile slowly crossed on her mother's face. "Ah, teenage girl crush?"

Well, at least her mother was smiling and not looking hurt. She relaxed a little then continued. "He's a good friend of mine… a really good friend. I know it's wrong to crush on a guy who is a friend, but I can't him out of my head. But the problem is, he just sees me as a friend, and I'm sure he's more interested in my other friend, Dawn. You know her, right? And she seems interested in him as well. It's driving me crazy trying to work it all out and I'm supposed to be meeting up with him in two hours to see a movie," she blurted out without stopping to take a single breath.

Her mother lifted a brow. "Slow down, Misty."

"Sorry, I've kept it to myself for a few days now," she replied sheepishly.

"You are speaking of Gary, right?"

Misty's face reddened.

"He is a good-looking boy. It's understandable that you'd be attracted to him."

"That's not helping, mum." She took in a deep breath and sighed. "I like him a lot. But how do I show that to him without destroying our friendship? If I asked him, he'd probably say no and think of me as a fool. Ugh. Why does it have to be so hard?" And why did she have to be attracted to Gary of all people?

Her mother patted her on the back then gave her a tight hug. "I'm sure Gary does not think of you as a fool, and if he does... then he's not worth the effort, no matter how good-looking he is. You just have to be yourself, Misty." Her mother stood up. "I hope you enjoy the movie with him, but we'll have to discuss this later. I have to attend a cooking class." She exited the room, closing the door behind her.

Misty sighed. "Be yourself. Right. That sounds simple enough."

But how could she 'be herself' when that placed her in the friend-zone?

.

Dawn sat down in the front seat of her mother's car, staring aimlessly out the window, unable to push aside thoughts of disappointment. She was supposed to be spending time with Gary and Misty, but instead here she was in the car listening to some old radio station. Her mother was smiling, but the woman refused to say a single word, choosing to hum along to the music instead.

"Mum, what's going on?" Dawn said, unable to handle the secrecy for much longer. Her mother was generally in an upbeat mood, always smiling and the like, but this was overboard. What could possibly be so exciting? It couldn't be related to money – they had more than enough of that, which meant it couldn't be related to a job promotion either because that was linked to money as well. "We're not having a party are we?"

Johanna still refused to utter a single word, continuing to hum the melody of the song playing on the radio. It was strange, and a little worrying to an extent. Her mother didn't even ask her how her day at school was and that was usually the very first thing she asked when she picked her up. They continued the journey home without conversation until they pulled up their driveway to their mansion. They lived in the wealthiest part of the city, and lived on a hectare of land, with a swimming pool and a tennis court.

Climbing out of the car, Dawn closed the door then followed her mother towards the front door, her curiosity levels rising. "Are you going to tell me what's going on now?" she said, as her mother unlocked the door, pushing it open to step inside. Dawn followed and closed it, before heading to the kitchen.

"I think we should go somewhere nice tonight. I've been willing to check out that new restaurant Siebold's opened last month. I've heard it's very good," Johanna said, heading over to the fridge to examine the calendar.

"Mum, please. What's happening?"

"Well, I was going to wait for your father to arrive… but I can't keep it a secret for much longer."

"Well?"

Johanna turned away from the fridge and walked over to Dawn. "You have to promise not to tell anyone. You can't tell your friends, your grandfather or even your father. Can you promise me that?" She sat Dawn down at the table.

"Yeah?"

Her mother's smile widened. "I want them to be surprised when I share the good news."

"Mum, the suspense is killing me."

"How do you feel about becoming a big sister?"

Dawn lifted her eyebrows. Were her ears deceiving her or had her mother just implied that she was pregnant? She thought it might be a joke, but then again her mother wouldn't joke about something like that. "Big sister?" she echoed, her mind failing to come up with something more intelligent.

Johanna nodded. "Isn't this exciting?"

She was going to have either a brother or a sister in about nine months time. So that's why her parents actively encouraged her to go out on weekends and such so they'd have the home to themselves. And all this time she had thought they just wanted her out to get some fresh air. "That's great, mum!" How was she supposed to keep quiet about this? It was big news! It was news to be celebrated, not kept in the dark. "Why haven't you told dad yet?"

"He's busy at work. I'll tell him later. I was going to share it with the both of you at dinner tonight, but I couldn't resist." Johanna stood up and walked over to the fridge again, almost with a skip in her step. "I think we should go out. I'll make a booking. You go upstairs and get ready. I'll send a text to your father. Remember, keep your lips sealed."

Dawn nodded slowly. "Promise."

.

See you all in the next chapter with more dramatic moments! As always, reviews are much appreciated!


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